Fall Decor Vignettes at Royalview

When we recently visited Hobby Lobby for Fall decor inspo, I wouldn’t have thought that I would be drawn in by a little Cinderella carriage, but I spotted this little cutie in what looked like a Fairy Tale section (that I had not seen before), and knew it had to come home to Royalview. We have a clock that we named Cinderella, so yeah, it was meant to be. You can see the bottom edge of Cinderella just above this carriage, so they are together. To decorate this little carriage, I thought a little white pumpkin was the perfect touch – you know, the pumpkin from the story was changed into Cinderella’s carriage — I knew you knew that! I simply put a few leaves in the bottom of the carriage and then placed the white (or cream) pumpkin inside. I purchased a couple of wooden risers at Hobby Lobby, so I placed the carriage atop one riser that I had first arranged with some white leaves (with pink and cream tones). I completed the look with some of the little acorns from a larger stem I purchased at Hobby Lobby as well. I think it turned out really pretty and girlie, and fall’ish, and definitely Cinderella’ish.

One of the main Fall focal points at Royalview, is located in our dining room. I posted a while back about the beautiful vintage curio cabinet that was handmade by Willie’s father, which now calls Royalview home. It is a wonderful piece that gains most of the attention in our dining area, as it is stunning, and I enjoy filling it with pretty items, so seasonal decor is certainly going to be happening in this area, year round.

I recently purchased some gorgeous rhinestone pumpkins from our friend Kelly of Sweet Magnolia Emporium (from her booth at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis, TX), as well as some very beautiful clear glass lamps. I knew that I wanted to put all these items together for a lovely setting. I had first thought of putting the pumpkins on our dining room table, but once the lamps came into the picture, the curio cabinet it was.

As soon as I arrived home with these, I couldn’t wait to see how they would look arranged together.

I really think they compliment each other wonderfully. I added Fall floral embellishments to the lamps and larger pumpkin.

For the smaller pumpkins, I simply placed them a tier below and added a floral embellishment behind them.

I think it all came together beautifully. It is simple, yet elegant.

And the last little Fall decor vignette I wanted to share with you is our Butterfly Wall Table. This is just in a little corner nook that sits between our utility room and kitchen. This spot sat unattended for quite a while as we were getting settled in. It was consistently used for piling boxes as we were unpacking, but now it’s getting some decor love.

I just have a little collection of cute things I’ve picked up from vintage shops as well as Hobby Lobby, and I added a few Fall touches here with the little pumpkins and Fall ribbon. The Fall leaf ribbon is a Dollar Tree find.

And I bet you’re wondering, “Butterfly Wall?” Yep, one of my experiments.

Golden Butterfly Wall at Royalview, with metal butterflies from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/47UoDaW
acrossthelake.blog Visit for links to all butterflies used in this arrangement.

I bought an array of different types of gold metal butterflies, some thicker metal than others, some pretty light, and created a little wall vignette along with a gold framed mirror I picked up at Rosey Opal’s in New Waverly, TX. I think it’s so pretty. Willie really likes it too. I’ll post the links below to where I found them on Amazon. The larger butterflies and flower were actually a set. It seems that Royalview is taking on it’s own personality. The first decor intention was to be French Country Lake House vibe, but she seems to be going more royal botanical garden, and I’m loving it. I’m loving the entire journey and just seeing where it all takes us.

That’s what makes life fun anyway, right? Following our joy and finding what makes our hearts sing.

Till next time, always follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Our Amazon Affiliate Links for Butterfly Decor:

3-Piece Metal Butterfly and Flower Set: https://amzn.to/4g1dA1z

48 Piece Metal Butterfly Set: https://amzn.to/4lNPloZ

48 Piece Butterfly Set (4 different styles, and these are thinner): https://amzn.to/4mQY6Qk

I used these gold thumbtacks to hang the butterflies: https://amzn.to/425jKbe

God bless! I hope you enjoy!

Fall Home Decor, Fall Vignettes, Cinderella Carriage and Pumpkin Decor, Butterfly Wall, Vintage Fall Decor, Rhinestone Pumpkins, Willis, Conroe, Texas

August 30, 2025 0

Royalview’s Fall Floral Makeover

Fall faux floral dining room table arrangement in creme, blue and light rust.
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The leaves are already falling here at Royalview, and we are getting in the mood. We love this time of year so much, with the warmer color tones, cooler temps (not yet arrived here in SE Texas), just the whole vibe of the season.

I’ve been trying to decide what color tones I’d like to incorporate for our first Fall season at Royalview. We are decorated in mainly blue, white, brown, and greys, and I did not want to deviate too far from what we’ve just put into place, but rather, add in some warm tones to give it the Fall feels.

After shopping around for ideas, I decided to go with creme, blue, brown, gold, and light rust (with a little bling as well, as in gold glitter and rhinestone pumpkins!).

I shopped at Hobby Lobby, Amazon, Dollar General, and the Dollar Tree for faux florals. (The floral bouquet pictured above is filled with florals from Amazon and Dollar General.)

I purchased this box of very lovely faux floral in cremes, blues, and light rust from Amazon. I thought they arrived beautifully in their box. And I thought it was very unique to have the flowers separated from the stems. At first I wasn’t sure about that, but I quite enjoyed putting the flowers on my preferred stem, or leaving them off a stem to put at the base of my arrangement.

Beautiful Fall faux florals from Amazon, in creme, blue, and light rust.
https://amzn.to/45Cx4X0
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Here is the assortment of faux florals I chose from Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree:

Assortment of Fall faux florals from Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree.
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Instead of creating new Fall floral arrangements from scratch, I decided to transform already existing arrangements, with the exception of the arrangement on our dining room table (pic 1).

Here is a before picture of two arrangements from our living room entertainment center, and one from atop our grandfather clock, that I transformed/made over into Fall arrangements.

Blue, white, and purple faux floral arrangements to be transformed into Fall arrangements.
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And here is their after photo:

After photo of 3 arrangements transformed into Fall faux floral arrangements.
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You can see I kept most of their floral white and blue bases. I just took out some of the more Summery looking purples and blue frills, and simply added some creme, gold, and light rust florals, with a hint of acorns in the larger arrangement.

This was such an easy transformation, and I can do the same at Christmastime, with whatever color tones I choose then, and since I kept all the florals that I took out, I can choose to add those back in the Spring, or go in another direction. So many options, but yet keeping our base color tones in the arrangements.

I put the arrangements all back in their places, and added hints of Fall all around. With just a few subtle touches, Royalview is looking lovely, and ready for Fall.

Fall faux floral arrangement in blue, white, and gold.
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I added some of the warm florals, nuts, and berries to an existing garland atop our entertainment center.

White floral garland makeover into Fall decor.
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Fall decor, in white, brown, and blue tones.
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Fall faux floral arrangement in creme, blue, and brown.
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Here is a another (large) arrangement that I added to as well. This one has more of a Winter appearance to me, but I love this look so much, and it may become the inspiration for our Winter palette.

Large faux floral arrangement in white, green, and frosted lavender.
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I hope you enjoyed Royalview’s Fall floral makeover, and that it inspires you as well.

Till next time, remember to always follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Making Fall faux floral arrangements, make over existing faux floral arrangements into Fall decor, Fall colors, Fall palette

August 28, 2025 0

Vintage and Antique Shopping in Willis, TX, Fall 2025

Fall Home Decor found in Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX
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Who’s ready for Fall? Yay!

I’ve been very excited to visit our favorite vintage and antique shops here in our area (Willis, New Waverly, Conroe, TX). Our first stop was at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis. I follow them on Facebook and have been seeing some of their posts showing new Fall home decor items, so, come on Willie, let’s go!

Our friend Kelly with Sweet Magnolia Emporium has several booths here, and we did actually run into her during our visit, so that was definitely a fun surprise. Ms. Shirley and Stan were there as well, so it was great to get caught up with everyone.

Upon entering the store, we were immediately greeted with cozy Fall ambiance.

Fall decor at Yesterday's Treasures, in Willis, TX. 2025
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It smelled really good in here too, definitely adding to the feels.

I took a few snapshots of some of my favorite new finds, including some of the goodies I brought back with me to Royalview.

These beautiful blingy pumpkins are what caught my eye right away.

Pumpkin bling at Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX.
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I brought home the rhinestone covered pumpkin in the back, and the white and gold pumpkin in the front. These are from Kelly’s booth.

Kelly also just upcycled some old fans, and turned them in to gorgeous home decor items. She texted me about these about a week ago, and I thought her idea was so brilliant. Here’s one that is currently in her booth at Yesterday’s Treasures:

Here are some peeks at what you can find this Fall at Yesterday’s Treasures:

Blue glass pumpkin at Yesterday's Treasures, Willis, TX
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Fall decor at Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX
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Now, these beauties also came home with me. There is another set still there that is similar. So beautiful!

Vintage style lamps at Yesterday's Treasure in Willis, TX.
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Vintage Coca Cola sign with lady, at Yesterday's Treasures, Willis, TX.
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Home decor at Yesterday's Treasures.
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I hope you get a chance to visit the fine folks at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis, TX sometime soon, and enjoy shopping all the unique vintage and antique offerings from many wonderful vendors.

Till next time, enjoy getting ready for Fall! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Vintage and Antique Shopping, Willis, Texas, Fall Home Decor, Unique Finds, Glass Pumpkins, Rhinestone Pumpkins, Blingy Pumpkins

August 22, 2025 0

Visiting Our Friend Kelly’s New Sweet Magnolia Emporium Booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market, in New Waverly, Texas

Sweet Magnolia Emporium's Booth at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, Texas.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

She’s here, and all set up to go! Woo Hoo! Willie and I were both very excited to visit our friend Kelly’s new booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market yesterday. She always has the most beautiful collection of vintage and bling. I honestly do not know where in the world she finds all this gorgeousness, but I’m so glad she does!

Hey Kelly!

Kelly of Sweet Magnolia Emporium, now open in Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, Tx.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

She is the sweetest! We actually scared her when we arrived yesterday, hollering out hello to her when we turned the corner. Sorry, Kelly….

Kelly and her husband Bill also make and upcycle goods for sale. Here’s a little wooden heart that Bill made, and Kelly blinged out. This one came home with me. I love knowing that this was made by them both in a joint effort.

Wooden heart bling from Sweet Magnolia Emporium.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

There is another handmade heart in her booth that’s waiting for you to take it home.

Blinged out wooden heart handmade by Bill and Kelly of Sweet Magnolia Emporium.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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So pretty! And these are solid.

Here’s another beauty that came home with me from Kelly’s booth. Well, actually, both items are from her booth (vintage mannequin and metal crown).

Vintage style mannequin/dress form covered in vintage Ladies Home Journal pages. From Sweet Magnolia Emporium in Rosey Opals Collective Market, in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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These are so beautiful, and the mannequin is a perfect example of Kelly upcycling something and making it even more fabulous. She covered this really cute mannequin/dress form in vintage articles from The Ladies Home Journal. I looks like the articles are from Christmas 1894. I love this so much. She also added the beaded skirt to the bottom. This is going in my office, for sure.

Kelly loves old mannequins/dress forms, so you are more than likely to find at least one in each of her booths. There were three here yesterday, so still two more for you to take home.

Vintage mannequin/dress form in Sweet Magnolia Emporium's booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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I may have to go back and snag this little cutie.

Black wire vintage mannequin/dress from from Sweet Magnolia Emporium's booth in Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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There’s just so much goodness to see in every little nook.

Vintage items found at Sweet Magnolia Emporium inside Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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I think I went back and looked through her booth at least 3 times while I was visiting yesterday. And her prices are always fantastic.

Here’s a picture of my complete haul. A couple of items are from other vendor booths at Rosey Opals. This place is filled with so many beautiful items for your home, plus there are fashion boutique booths, handmade candle booths, just a lot of goodness.

I’m so happy with all my goodies! I always find unique items for Royalview at Rosey Opals, and now that our friend Kelly is a permanent fixture there, it’s going to be extra fun to visit.

And don’t forget. They have an ice cream parlor! The Red Bird Creamery also resides at Rosey Opals. They hand craft creamy ice creams and Italian ices. You can take a seat and have a nice ice cream break.

Red Bird Creamery inside Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, Tx.
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https://www.facebook.com/redbirdcreamery

Ok gang! Till our next adventure, we hope you are doing very well and following your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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antique shopping, vintage shopping, vintage bling, vintage home decor, fashion boutique, New Waverly, Willis, Conroe, Huntsville, TX, vintage haul, vintage finds, upcycled home decor

July 26, 2025 0

Dining Room Decor: Vintage Candlestick Holders with Brown, Silver Scroll Candles

Brown pillar candles with silver scrolls from Amazon
https://amzn.to/4lv488q
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Do you remember these vintage candlestick holders from our Rosey Opal haul? Well, they have found their new home atop our antique curio cabinet in our dining room. When I spotted these, I did not even think about them matching my upcycled picture frame so well. When we got home with these, I was like, “hey…. I do have a good eye!”. I knew they would fit in. And with a price tag of only $10.00 per candlestick holder, I definitely knew I couldn’t go wrong getting these. They are very heavy and they had already been whitewashed, so perfect!

I immediately began searching for pillar candles to top these, and turned to my favorite online shopping spot, Amazon. I came across these interesting little pillars that are dark brown with raised metallic silver scroll-work.

Dark brown pillar candle with raised silver scrollwork from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/45Osc1t
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Now, when I received these candles, they looked like they may have been damaged in transit, with some bubbling of the brown paint, and some chipping off of the silver. But you know what? I really like it! They came distressed! It’s actually better for going atop a distressed candlestick holder that’s sitting in front of a distressed frame. If I were still making decorative pillars, I would have most likely been trying to achieve a distressed look when making candles for these holders, so yay!

I really like how the brown candles gently balance everything out, and the silver is just the perfect accent for this setting.

Brown and silver pillar candles from Amazon.
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https://amzn.to/4lv488q

I couldn’t be happier with these finds, or how they fit into our decor.

For the candles, you can follow our Amazon Associate link here. For the candlestick holders, well, they were the only ones like this at the time we shopped at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX. But here is a link to some gorgeous vintage white candlestick holders on Amazon, if you’d like to shop this home decor inspiration.

Till next time, remember to always follow your joy! God is good!

Johanna and Willie

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Vintage candlestick holders, distressed candlestick holders, distressed candle with metallic silver swirls, Amazon Home Finds, dining room decor, whitewashed candlestick holders, home decor, shabby chic decor, farmhouse decor, antique furniture

July 3, 2025 0

Antique Shopping: Home Decor Haul Update

Cream colored glass vintage style lamp.
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Well, the lamp made it home with us, and now has a new spot to call it’s own. I love it so much, and I’m so glad I went back to get it. It fits in perfectly with Royalview’s decor.

Beautiful vintage style cream colored glass lamp pictured lit from Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX.
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I paired it with the dried lavender arrangement I made and put it on the shelves by one of our windows facing the back garden.

I also have a little candle warmer here, so it makes for a very cozy vignette.

Here’s the lamp and candle warmer unlit.

Beautiful vintage style cream glass lamp.
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And here’s our entire haul, minus the bicycle picture. I’ll get it unwrapped a little later. It’s safer till we get the office set up.

Antique shopping haul from Mimi's on Main and Conroe Woodlands Antique Mall.
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So we have the lamp, which is already happy by it’s window. Two pairs of vintage ladies. One pair in turquoise frames, and one pair in shadowboxes. I found a pretty white ceramic bird that is now in the base of our antique curio cabinet along with the basket of faux lavender. Last, but not least, Aunt Bunny gifted us with this beautiful 2025 Heart and Home Calendar which will be in my office as well.

Vintage style southern belle framed pictures from Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX
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Helpful Amazon Product Links:

Dried Lavender Flower Bundles

Candle Warmer with Timer

Willie and I are now official Amazon Associates. We love to share our favorite Amazon finds with you here. If you follow one of our links and purchase, we do receive a small commission from the sale. Thank you for supporting our blog!

Johanna and Willie

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Antique Shopping Haul, Vintage Finds, Vintage Style Lamp, Vintage Pictures, Victorian Ladies, Shadowbox, Candle Warmer, Amazon Finds, Amazon Associates

May 28, 2025 0

Another Antiquing Adventure with Willie and Aunt Bunny! Memorial Day Weekend, 2025

Antiquing and Dining at The Cheesecake Factory at Woodlands Mall and Mimi's on Main in Conroe, TX. acrossthelake.blog

Can you tell yet that we love a fun adventure?

We definitely do, and Willie and I love living here! There is so much to see and do in the Woodlands, Conroe, Montgomery, and Willis, Texas area. It’s so fun!

When we spoke with Aunt Bunny about where she’d like to go for our next adventure (Hobby Lobby is always her first choice, but we decided to go antiquing again), she said Mimi’s on Main in Conroe. I’ve had a pair of pictures on my mind ever since our first visit there, so I was definitely happy with that choice, as was Willie. He had already made fast friends there on our first visit, and really likes the shop too.

And of course we have to have an awesome brunch before all that shopping, right? We all decided on The Cheesecake Factory at The Woodlands Mall. Willie and I have been there twice and have loved it both times, and it had been a while for Bunny, so yay, another easy decision for us all.

We all really enjoyed our brunch. The restaurant itself is quite beautiful. They have the paddleboat swans out front, the trolley passing by, it’s just a really fun and pleasant setting.

The Cheesecake Factory at Woodlands Mall.
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And we did good. We resisted the cheesecake! Maybe next time!

Next stop, old downtown Conroe to visit Mimi’s on Main.

Farmers Market window display at Mimi's on Main in Conroe, TX.
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They have such a cute little Farmer’s Market display up right now right as you walk in. The entire store is a joy to see and walk through. So much to see, but my first intention was to look for that pair of pictures I was hoping was still there.

Guess what?

They were waiting for me.

Vintage pair of pictures of old fashioned Southern Belles found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX.
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They are so pretty. These are going to be such a fun addition to my office at Royalview.

A moment later I heard Willie prompting me to come and take a look at what he had found.

Blue bicycle picture found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX.
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So cute! I’m loving bicycles right now for some reason. These had to come home with me as well. For my office? Yeah! These pictures will all go wonderfully with the vintage Victorian lady Shadowboxes I found at the Conroe-Woodlands Antique Mall just a while back. I don’t think I’ve shown those to you yet.

Here they are. I found these the same day I acquired the miniature tea set for our antique curio cabinet.

Vintage Victorian lady shadowboxes from the Conroe-Woodlands Antique Mall on 336.
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I’m really loving how these finds are going to make my office such a beautiful setting for me to enjoy, and I cannot wait to get started putting it all together!

But anyway, back to Mimi’s, and where’s Bunny? I always know where to find her. In the book section.

Aunt Bunny reading a Cherry Ames, Boarding House Nurse book at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX
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She remembered reading the Cherry Ames Nurse Books when she was younger. We always find treasures from our past here at Mimi’s.

And speaking of treasures. Look what else I found.

Beautiful vintage cream colored glass lamp found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, Texas.
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A vintage-style cream-colored glass lamp, with a raised velvet cream-on-cream botanical-style shade. Isn’t that gorgeous? Can you believe I walked away from it? I did, but I came back later and got it! I couldn’t go home without it.

Mimi’s was just as great a treat on this visit as on our first. There are all types of styles in these individual booths. I love seeing how each vendor curates their space.

We did stop in at three other shops while we were in downtown Conroe. Willie and I really love the old downtown area. In our search for a new hometown, that was one of our main criteria. We wanted to live in or near a historic old town where the stores have been turned into cute shops and boutiques, and there are eateries and such. Conroe definitely fills that bill. While walking to Mimi’s we came across an old theatre, called Crighton Theatre.

Crighton Theatre in downtown Conroe, Texas.
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We cannot wait to explore even more.

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Downtown Conroe, Texas, Antique Shopping, Vintage Goods, Vintage Finds, Vintage Shops, The Woodlands Mall, The Cheesecake Factory, Woodlands, Texas

May 28, 2025 0

Living Room Decor Update

Vintage style blue and white washable area rug great for French country decor from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4k7SrUN
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Everything is still a work in progress here at Royalview, but it’s getting cozier and definitely feeling like home, more and more every day. I’m getting to where I do not want to leave. I want to stay home. Royalview is now definitely in my heart as home.

It’s been so much fun shopping for home decor, as well as doing my little crafts for things around the house. Royalview’s decor has been a “from scratch” project. Our decor theme and color scheme is completely different from our former home of 31 years. It’s been a great adventure for me to start from scratch. All new feel, all new memories.

Our entertainment center decor has been in constant evolvement. As we find new goodies, we’re always moving things around to see where they look best. The top of our entertainment center has now inherited the floral arrangement that I made to go in the dining room atop our antique curio cabinet.

Home entertainment center decor focal point.
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I put this floral arrangement together in a pedestaled white milk glass bowl I acquired at Yesterday’s Treasures Antique Mall in Willis, TX, as I did the cute black two-faced clock pictured here. Not sure yet if this will be where it (the floral arrangement) stays, but it’s here for now. Still deciding…

Above entertainment center focal point decor. Vintage style French country home decor.
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I found the white rose garland at Michaels, and I love how it ties everything together. I intertwined the garland with a strand of battery powered little ball lights. You can see them better in the closeup photo.

And, I’ve not yet introduced you to our wall clock, Cinderella. I found her at Yesterday’s Treasures Antique Mall upon our very first visit there, and knew immediately that she had to come home with us.

Mora style wall clock. Antique Mall find.
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Cinderella is a Mora style wall clock painted in white and gray. I did not give her a makeover. This is the way I found her and loved the look. She was actually the inspiration for the color that I painted Beauty (the tall candlestick holder). We have very high walls, so she goes perfectly, with her very tall stature.

I found a similar clock in style and color on Amazon for any who may be loving this style as much as I do. It’s a Howard Miller Lebanon II Wall Clock in Antique Gray. (I will be linking more similar Amazon finds here for all of you, for items I have acquired elsewhere that may be 1 of a kind as far as where I’ve found them, as I do receive requests from folks wanting to find similar items for themselves.)

And, for the promised look at the little house clock that I found at Hobby Lobby and repainted, Here it is:

Entertainment center decor. French country home style. After photo of house style clock.
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Willie also installed new clock works and hands. Here’s the before picture:

Before picture of house style clock.
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Such a fun and easy little makeover project, but it did make a big difference. I really like this little clock. It gives me birdhouse vibes.

And we cannot forget Willie’s favorite living room decor item, our Samsung 55-Inch Smart TV.

Samsung 55 Inch HDR Smart TV from Amazon. They will deliver and set it up for you.
https://amzn.to/3FnNZCa
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We both really do enjoy it. It’s very nice to see the action on the screen so well, and we love that we can watch our DVD’s very easily without having to switch back and forth. The DVD choice is located on the menu with all the other apps. This Amazon purchase was so fabulous also because they brought it here and set it up for us. That was very helpful.

We’ll be off on another antiquing spree with Aunt Bunny, coming up very soon. We’ll see what other treasures are to be found. My sights are now focused more on decor for my office and for our bathrooms. I’m so excited my new desk has arrived (from Amazon, of course). Willie is working to get that all put together as well as a storage cabinet for our utility room. There’s always some type of project going on over here, and we’re loving it!

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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VIPBED 8×10 Vintage Style Blue and White Area Rug (Picture 1), from Amazon

Home Decor, French Country, Lake House, Decor, Amazon Finds, Amazon Associates, Antique Mall Finds, Shopping, Willis, Conroe, Texas

May 22, 2025 0

DIY Painting Projects: Dining Room Curio Cabinet Decor

Antique hand made mahogany curio cabinet.
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It’s been a lot of fun shopping and deciding what items to put on and in our antique curio cabinet handmade by Willie’s Father. I definitely knew that we needed bright items to contrast the dark mahogany wood. I also wanted to go with fun and whimsical items.

A few of the recently added items are the cute little bicycle clock, the miniature table and chair set, and the wicker basket.

Each of these items needed a little TLC to get them ready for display.

The first to get their makeover was the little bicycle clock. We found this at Hobby Lobby on the Clearance aisle. It’s so awesome. I told Willie that I really wanted a white bicycle to go in our cabinet, so when I spotted this bicycle, I was overjoyed.

As you can see, it was originally black metal, and the clock had no hands. I saw this as a fun project for us, and I love that it is an old fashioned style bicycle. This was a happy surprise find.

Black cast iron bicycle clock before picture.
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With just a quick touch-up of white paint on the metal and wooden parts, the only thing left to do was to replace the clock-works. We found clock workings sets at Michaels for both this bicycle clock and a little house clock project. I’ll show you the little house on a later post.

Bicycle clock painted white.
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Willie made quick and easy work of replacing the clock works, and there she is, so pretty and now also working. I cannot remember exactly what we paid for this clock, but I think it was less than $5.00, because it didn’t work, so yay!

Completed bicycle clock makeover and clock replacement, after picture.
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Next up are the miniature dining room table and chairs and wicker basket, ready for their makeovers.

Paint project items: miniature table and chair set and wicker basket.
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We got the miniature wooden table and chairs set at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles, and the wicker basket was brought with us from our former home.

I dreamt about the wicker basket painted white with lavender flowers inside, like someone had been out picking them. So, that’s what I set out to accomplish.

Wicker basket being painted white.
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Again, very easy to transform. I used a water based paint and did not put a lot on my brush. Just a light white washing.

Wicker basket painted white.
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I did not paint the inside, since I plan to fill it with faux lavender, which I picked up at Rosey Opals, in New Waverly, TX.

Faux lavender stems with frayed white satin ribbon tied in bows.
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I also purchased some frayed white satin ribbon, and a really pretty blue silk ribbon from Amazon. Here are our Associate links for these: White Silk Satin Ribbon 1.5 inch, Dusty Blue Satin Ribbon 3 inch.

Wicker basket painted white with dusty blue satin ribbon to be tied.
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I love the color and texture of these ribbons. So beautiful.

And our finished basket with lavender project:

White washed wicker basket filled with faux lavender and tied with a dusty blue satin ribbon bow.
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I’m very happy with the way it turned out.

And now we get to the little miniature table and chairs. I found these at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles. I posted about our fun antique shopping day in New Waverly in an earlier post. You can find it here.

My new phrase currently seems to be, “I can paint it white.”, when I find something I love that isn’t quite the right aesthetic for Royalview’s decor. I like being able to find things that we both love, and transforming them. It’s so much fun, and makes for great memory making.

Painting a miniature dining table white.
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Painting a wooden miniature table and chairs set.
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For this set, I added a touch of blue paint to give the pieces a little farmhouse charm.

Miniature wooden table and chair set finished paint project in whitewash and blue with miniature vase and flowers.
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Isn’t that little vase with flowers the sweetest? But…. I also found a miniature tea set while shopping at the Conroe Woodlands Antique Mall, and I couldn’t resist. It was a difficult choice, but I decided to go with the tea set on the table.

And here it is in it’s new spot in the curio cabinet.

Miniature wooden table and chairs set with miniature tea set on the table.
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I completed the look with a little doily that I found at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.

The basket found it’s new home on the very bottom of the curio cabinet.

White washed wicker basket filled with faux lavender inside an antique mahogany curio cabinet.
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We’re making great progress!

Mahogany antique hand made curio cabinet.
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We just need to find some goodies for the very top. I’m thinking remote controlled candles, to bring in some light, and a couple more items for the side (angled) shelves on the bottom.

It’s all coming together a lot quicker than I thought it may, and I’m really loving the juxtaposition of the formalness and darkness of the cabinet, with the playfulness and lightness of the curated items.

Till next time, stay safe and follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Projects, Miniature Furniture Makeover, Whitewashing Projects, Paint Projects, French Country House Inspired Decorations, Whimsical Decor, Lakehouse Decor, Conroe, Texas

May 13, 2025 0

Adventures in Antiquing: New Waverly, Texas

New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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Boy, did we have a great time yesterday! The weather was BEAUTIFUL! I cannot recall another May when we’ve experienced temperatures in the 70’s after a cool front moving through, here in Texas. It was the perfect day to travel up to New Waverly and walk around that charming little town, visiting all the spots that were taking part in their special Mother’s Day Event.

We began our day with breakfast at Honey’s Coffee and Biscuits.

Honey's Coffee and Biscuits, New Waverly, Texas
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We’ve actually been wanting to try Honey’s ever since we saw their menu being printed at our local UPS Store. I knew I wanted to try their Spinach, Egg, and Feta Biscuit Panini, for sure. I ordered it in one of their Brunch Boxes. They are so cute, and it comes with House Potatoes and fresh fruit. Great way to start our adventure!

Spinach, Egg, and Feta Biscuit Panini in a Brunch Box from Honey's Coffee and Biscuits in New Waverly, TX. acrossthelake.blog

After our brunch, we walked across the street to New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles. We have been here before, and really enjoy visiting.

There is so much history to browse through here.

Check out their milk glass collection in white. We have a few pieces at Royalview from their stash.

Milk glass collection at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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And look what I found for our antique cabinet in the dining room. I was thrilled to find this miniature wooden table and chairs dining room set. I thought it would be fun to paint these white and have a little vase of flowers on top. Christine and Mary both helped me look for a vase, and Mary was the winner with this little cutie, and she even put some little flowers in it. Such a fun time here for sure.

Miniature wooden table and chairs set from New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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Our next stop was next door at the New Waverly Feed Store. They had a Farmer’s Market going on with vender’s tents all set up in the parking lot.

New Waverly Feed Store Farmer's Market.
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We looked around here for a bit and then took a stroll across the Railroad Tracks to another favorite spot, Rosey Opals.

Railroad tracks in New Waverly, TX
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Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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Rosey Opals was hosting a Mother’s Day Market and had vendors outside, as well as special sales going on inside, plus the Red Bird Ice Cream Parlor was open. That’s such a fun feature in this antique mall.

The very first booth upon entering is one of my favorites. The aesthetic is definitely my vibe. How gorgeous is this Mora Clock?

Mora Clock at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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Do you spy the little white bird just to the left of the clock? I’ve been eyeballing this beautiful wooden hand carved bird on several of our visits. He was 50% off during their event, so he came home with us.

Wooden hand carved bird from Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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The real highlight of our entire day came when we decided to venture outside to the vendor’s tents. I spied some cute little birdhouses, so I went directly there and we met two of the most wonderful ladies ever. Mary from The Rusted Crow, and Gloria, from Good Vibrations Furniture.

The Rusted Crow's tent at Rosey Opals' Mother's Day Event in New Waverly, TX
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This is Mary’s Booth (The Rusted Crow). She has a lot of wonderful home and garden pieces that she makes with love and whimsy. She and I talked for quite a while, as did Willie and Gloria. I feel like we became instant friends. These two ladies are what make this type of adventure so worth while. Willie and I love going out and about in our new hometown and nearby surroundings, meeting people, supporting all the local artists and vendors that we can, and hopefully beginning some very valued new friendships.

Vintage steampunk style picture from The Rusted Crow.
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Gloria specializes in restoring vintage furniture and giving them a new groove. She’s pretty groovy herself!

Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture.
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Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture restored table.
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Check out the paint colors on those table legs. So beautiful. And a gorgeous bumble bee decoupage table top.

Bumble Bee decoupage table top by Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture.
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After such an exciting day, we were very hungry, so we headed to another new family owned fave in Willis, Pizza Shack.

Pizza Shack in Willis, Texas
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After living in this area almost 5 months now, I am beginning to feel like a local, as we’re starting to get recognized here and there. This has been a dream of mine and Willie’s for quite some time. Small town life.

The food at Pizza Shack is pretty, and yummy too.

House salad at Pizza Shack.
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I got the Classic Margherita Flat Bread. Mwah!

Classic Margherita Flat Bread from the Pizza Shack, Willis, Texas.
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The perfect ending to a perfect day.

And here’s our little stash of goodies from our antiquing adventure.

We got the hand carved wooden bird plus that cute little “Queenie” bird, as I’m calling her, with her golden crown. The little miniature wooden dining room table and chairs set with the miniature vase (flowers included, thanks to Mary) and a couple of lace doilies.

Stash of goodies from antique shopping in New Waverly, TX
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I also spied some faux lavender bush stems at Rosey Opals that are perfect for a project I actually dreamed of while I slept the other night. I woke up with the idea to paint a basket that we brought with us from our former home (it’s in our back room with the rest of our stuff to be unpacked), and to lay some lavender in the basket as if someone had been out in a field picking it and putting it in the basket.

Faux lavender bushes in a basket
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You can imagine when I saw these lavender bushes, I knew it was meant to be. Plus these little beauties sparked our conversations with Mary and Gloria outside. Double blessing!

I know I say it on every post. And it’s because it is really true. God is truly good!

Till next time, and new adventures, be safe and please always follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

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The Rusted Crow Group on Facebook

Gloria’s Good Vibrations Furniture on Instagram

Rosey Opals on Facebook

New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles on Facebook

Honey’s Coffee and Biscuits on Facebook

The Pizza Shack, Willis, TX on Facebook

Antique Shopping, New Waverly, Texas, Willis, TX, Antique Finds, New Hometown, Craft Vendors, Farmer’s Market, Antique Mall, Antique Shops, Making New Friends, Small Town Life

May 4, 2025 0